Eugene Rhee

About

SurferBot for Kids

For my senior thesis project at Brown University, I designed the SurferBot into an interactive and educational experience for kids to explore robotics and fluid dynamics. I loved the challenge of identifying the fundamental concepts behind complex science research, and communicating this to kids in engaging and exciting ways.

This culminated in a workshop for 10 kids held at the local public community library. Kids built SurferBots and raced them against each other in the water, adding masts + other fun things in hopes for victory! We also used suminagashi - the Japanese water marbling technique - to visualize and capture the beautiful water eddies created by the Surferbot.

Workshop held at Rochambeau Library in Providence, Rhode Island.  
Role: Project Initiator, Industrial Design, Workshop Development
Collaborators: Eli Silver, Robert Hunt, Dan Harris
Year: 2023
Developing the SurferBot
After 3 years of research with the Harris Lab at Brown University, we published the SurferBot -  a low cost, easily assembled robot consisting of three simple parts

     • Vibration Motor
     • Coin Cell Battery
     • 3D Printed Body  

Check out the technical BTS here if interested!


However, a new question was on my mind...

How can we share the SurferBot with a larger non science audience, particularly kids? 
Well first, what is the underlying science concept here?
How can we illustrate the SurferBot wave concept to kids in a visually engaging and exciting way?
Suminagashi! The Japanese ink water marbling technique is perfect to help clearly illustrate the waves the SurferBot creates as it vibrates and moves through the water.
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Educational WorkShop For Kids
I developed an educational workshop where kids assembled a SurferBot, used suminagashi to visualize the waves, and raced their SurferBots against each other. In the typical kid fashion of having unbounded imagination and creativity, many added paper masts and other fun things to their SurferBot, in hopes for victory!